Deadly blast rocks small US town

By all accounts it was a huge explosion … ripping through part of the Kleen Energy Systems power plant at Middletown Connecticut 188km northeast of New York City.
 
It was heard at least 16km away.
 
Dozens of people telephoned emergency services to report a large explosion and earthquake-like tremors.
 
Lynn Townsend was among the first to get through:
 
"It really shook the house and everybody was scared and the kids started to cry because they didn't know if the house was going to be on fire. Immediately I went to call 9-1-1 and I was the first call in to let them know that the power plant, that there was a loud explosion. I mean, it was a very scary thought and it was almost like an earthquake."
 
It was so powerful that portions of a building were completely blown away … others were turned to rubble.